Brek Shea’s shorty of a loan deal – Seriously, is there a record for at brevity on these things? – to Championship side Barnsley is up in about a week. For his own good, he really should try to stretch this little teaser of a loan for a while longer.

The original 28-day loan deal from Stoke City expires following Barnsley’s league match – the Championship is England’s second tier – against Blackburn Rovers on Jan 28. Unless the deal shifts, the young U.S. international will be back under Mark Hughes’ watch at Stoke after that.

But would a move back to the Britannia really be best for the left winger, who still has a reasonable shot at a World Cup roster spot (if only because of that unique, run-right-at-‘em skill set and mentality that he adds to the U.S. assortment of talent)?

If he’s playing and, by all accounts, shining for Barnsley, wouldn’t it be more productive to hold in place a little while longer, say, another month? At Stoke City, he might make the 18-man squad a few more times, but a regular starting assignment at the Britannia hardly seems imminent.

Here’s something to consider: Shea’s had apparent success while wearing the Tykes’ kit, but it has certainly been limited success. It’s not really his fault; Shea just hasn’t had enough opportunities to suit up since arriving into the second-tier club at the start of the New Year.

He debuted well enough on Jan. 2, and his latest effective outing was further affirmation that Shea did the right thing in extricating himself from the bench at the Britannia, looking strategically to get games wherever he could. But fate and circumstance have limited his time on the field.

In fact, those are the only two appearances Shea has made for the club.

One of Barnsley’s matches during Shea’s days there was an FA Cup contest; he was already cup-tied with Stoke. And one league contest (sadly, one at The Valley, a swell London venue with Premier League history) was postponed due to weather conditions.

Two matches so far. That’s it.

For his own good, to keep the momentum moving, Shea and his representatives really should work to extend the loan deal a while longer.

February, by the way, would bring six chances to play; Barnsley has a half dozen league contests on the docket. Now that would be a run of games to build on.

With the first section labelled “basically, free money” for the picks I think are dead certs. The section labelled “don’t touch this” means if you’re betting I advise you to stay clear, while the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” section are the longshots. If it is better odds you are after, those are the picks to go for.

Watford host Everton on Saturday (7:30 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) at Vicarage Road to kick things off with both teams out of form and desperate for a win.

Then Arsenal welcome Stoke City to the Emirates Stadium (10 a.m. ET live NBCSN andonline via NBC Sports.com) as Arsene Wenger‘s side look to stretch their unbeaten run to 14 games in the Premier League against a resurgent Potters outfit.

As the same time struggling Swansea City and Sunderland clash (10 a.m. ET live CNBC and online via NBC Sports.com) in a massive relegation battle at the Liberty Stadium. Can Bob Bradley get a big win?

Rounding things off on Saturday we have a big game for two teams in contrasting situations as Leicester City host Manchester City (12:30 p.m. ET live NBC and online via NBC Sports.com) at the King Power Stadium with Claudio Ranieri‘s side in a relegation battle. As for Pep Guardiola and City, they haven’t had it all their own way recently but are just four points off top spot.

On Sunday league-leader Chelsea host West Brom (7 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with Antonio Conte‘s boys aiming to make it eight-straight wins in the Premier League but the in-form Baggies stand in the way. Then Manchester United and Tottenham collide at Old Trafford (9:15 a.m. ET live on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) in one of the games of the weekend as both teams still harbor title aspirations but look more likely to simply challenge for the top four this season.

To round Week 15 off Liverpool welcome struggling West Ham to Anfield (11:30 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with Jurgen Klopp‘s men aiming to get over their shocking defeat at Bournemouth, while Slaven Bilic‘s Hammers will take anything they can get from this trip.

If you’re looking for full-event replays of Premier League games, you can find them here. They are available soon after the final whistle, but rights limit us to a certain number each week. Looking for game highlights? Try this. Here’s your full TV schedule for the coming days. Enjoy.